There are just a few other points to which I want to refer. Deputy Kyne referred to the fact that the standard of our social welfare payments is low compared with a number of other countries. It is true that our social welfare payments are not as high as would be considered desirable, but they are not as bad as Deputies seem to take pleasure in saying they are. The Government have shown a keen awareness of the fact that there is need for an improvement in our social welfare standard, and practically every year some improvement has been made. It is the declared policy of the Government to effect further improvements.
When the lowness of our social welfare payments is criticised, it is never mentioned that the proportion of the State's contribution to insurance benefits in this country is higher than it is in any other country anyone can mention. The aim here is that the State should pay 33? per cent of the total cost of the insurance benefits, but in actual fact, over the years, the percentage has worked out considerably higher than that.
I have here the figures from 1953 to 1961-62. Over that period, the average State contribution has been 38.5 per cent. One year it went as high as 43.6 per cent and it is still considerably higher than the 33? per cent at which we aim. That compares very favourably with the position in any other country of which I am aware. In Great Britain, the average contribution of the Exchequer towards social insurance for the years 1954-55 to 1960-61 was 16 per cent, whereas here it was almost 40 per cent. A fact that is never referred to is that the State here plays a much more important and direct part in providing money for social insurance schemes.
Deputy Corish referred to seasonal fishermen and share fishermen in relation to unemployment assistance and unemployment benefit. That question is under examination at the moment. I must agree that when a person earns practically his total income for the year over a comparatively small period of the year, it is rather harsh to assess that income in the same way as an income earned weekly. That question is being looked into, as is also the matter of making share fishermen eligible for unemployment benefit.
Deputy Corish also referred to the reports of the Workmen's Compensation Commission, and the alleged long delay in dealing with those reports. While it is true, as he says, that it is a long time since the commission was set up, it really is not such a long time since the reports became available. In fact, printed copies were circulated only in February, but, as I have said on a number of occasions, I have now completed my examination of the reports and I hope to be in a position to indicate what the Government's proposals are in the reasonably near future. I suppose it would be too optimistic to say that there is any prospect of the legislation being ready in this session. It is likely that there will be legislation. It will probably take some time to prepare it.
In the meantime, I am aware that the maximum amount that can be paid by way of workmen's compensation is £4 10s. and that this does result in hardship. When the Government's decisions with regard to the future of workmen's compensation have been decided upon, it may, if it appears that the necessary legislation will be protracted, be necessary to decide on certain interim changes in the scheme which could be made more rapidly. I should like to avoid that, if at all possible, because if you make interim changes in the amount of compensation to be paid, they will obviously give rise to changes in the premiums to be paid. However, if the legislation is likely to be very protracted, we may have to consider doing that.
Deputy Kyne referred to the form of application for blind pension. He seemed to imply that because that application form did not indicate that medical evidence would be necessary, there was a long delay. My information is that, immediately on receipt of the application, if it is found that the answers to the questions on the application form indicate that the person is otherwise qualified for the receipt of a blind pension, a further form is sent out immediately to the person on which he or she submits a report from some doctor in connection with his or her eyesight.
